I Finally Watched ‘The West Wing’

Given that we’re in an election year, one of the shows I decided to explore this year was The West Wing, which my parents watched when I was still very young. Having been only about four months old when the series first premiered, I knew it would feel very different from the political environment of today, but I was also left pleasantly surprised by how idealistic it could feel. Even after the departure of its creator, the series was enjoyable to watch, but it also reflects an age where television was much longer and difficult to endure at such a fast pace. As a person who only grew up in the streaming era, it could be a difficult adjustment to make, and there is a risk it could turn away younger viewers. However, the stellar cast of characters is where this series truly shines, and every member of the main cast is a joy to watch. No matter how outdated and foreign it can feel, there is a reason why The West Wing still remains the undisputed king of televised political dramas, and it has proven itself to be timeless even a full quarter-century later.

‘The West Wing’ Captures the Idealism of Another Political Era

For younger viewers like myself curious to view it for the first time, the first thing I would advise you to remember is that The West Wing serves as a window to a political era that can feel quite foreign, one that any potential reboot would have a hard time recapturing. At 25, the show is now as old to us as Watergate is to it, created during an era where politics was still perceived by many as a noble calling. While I had expected this, I remained surprised at just how idealistic it could feel, where both parties remain rivals but still work together. Perhaps the best example comes with a shocking twist at the end of the fourth season, where the tension between both parties is further deepened by a major crisis that leaves all sides shaken but mostly unharmed. Across seven seasons, The West Wing is a series where people win because they deserve to win, and where political figures are fundamentally good people with differing beliefs. Almost everyone is likable and there are no real villains or people vying for power purely for their own sake.

As someone who follows politics very closely, it felt refreshing to see a world where politics is seen as enjoyable and engaging, rather than an existential matter of life and death it can often feel like today. On some level, I also knew this romanticism was a myth even at the time, given that The West Wing had been conceived in response to the scandals of the Clinton administration that had concluded earlier that year. Still, I found myself almost grieving for a time that feels so far away from us, even if it was actually in my lifetime. There is a reason why many young volunteers of the Obama campaign were inspired by The West Wing only a few years after the show concluded, and the hope the series could inspire felt intoxicating. Looking back, some political analysts have dismissed The West Wing as being almost naive for the way it portrays the world, but I think that innocence is exactly what makes it so attractive to people in the first place. Regardless of your own personal views and leanings, it portrays presidential politics as the stimulating exercise that it should be, reality be damned.

By Current Standards, ‘The West Wing’ Can Feel Exhausting to Watch

Today, much has been made about the shorter length of seasons in the age of streaming services, lamenting the loss of longer shows. As someone who only began watching narrative shows well into high school, I had never grown up with the more episodic shows that The West Wing embodied in the 1990s and 2000s. While I was aware of the longer episode count, I’d still expected the story to be a continuous drama within the White House, like a less cynical version of House of Cards with more likable characters. As it turns out, I was only partially right, as the structure of the story felt like a huge culture shock.

When I’m watching television dramas, I try to remain hyper-focused on what I’m watching since any detail could be important to the story. After just three episodes of the show, however, I found that almost impossible to do since the episodes were incredibly fast-paced and so many things happened at once. What I took some time to realize was how isolated every episode felt, often tackling a specific political problem and finding a solution. This is not to say the series has no stakes, as characters bite the dust on a few rare occasions, but it feels more like you’re living in a world instead of just watching a story.

As I kept watching, I could not help but connect particular storylines from The West Wing to current events. As the series went on, it began to lean more into the actual issues of the day, most notably surrounding terrorism, and the show can be a sad reminder of exactly how little has changed. Still, the fast pace of everything made the series feel a chore at times, most notably as the later seasons declined in quality with the departure of both series creator Aaron Sorkin and Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn. The final season made up for this, however, with a double election night special and a perfect series finale that left me feeling spent but ultimately satisfied.

‘The West Wing’ Has a Perfect Cast of Characters

Although The West Wing is a fantastic exploration of life in the White House, it never would have lasted if not for its great characters. To me, the star will always be Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlett, but the entire cast was thrilling to watch in each of their roles. To name just a few examples, Richard Schiff is fascinating as Toby and CJ makes for an imposing press secretary thanks to Allison Janney giving the role her all, while Bradley Whitford is a joy to watch as Josh. For a series with such an impact on popular culture, it’s no surprise to learn The West Wing is also packed with guest stars over the years, with John Goodman being my personal favorite.

I think I also should take a moment to pay tribute to John Spencer, who may have been my favorite from the main cast with his role as Leo McGarry. The death of the actor near the final season’s climax caught me by surprise and left me feeling nervous about how they would address it as the show neared its end. Usually, I’m not too fond of the idea of writing out a character if the actor passes, but the fact that McGarry had already endured a similar heart attack on the show that always loomed over his campaign made it entirely realistic. Had I not seen the message honoring the actor beforehand, I probably would have viewed it as a perfectly natural plot twist.

Ultimately, when I look back upon The West Wing and its long run, I generally think of the characters first. Granted, the show is not perfect even in this department, and it was criticized even at the time for its mostly white cast. Regardless, I loved spending time with this crew every night for three months, and I think that is the mindset new viewers will need to have if they want to explore the series. For better or worse, The West Wing is a clear product of its time, but the show has endured for a generation, and it will likely continue to do so for many more.

The West Wing is currently available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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